Sealing device for electric meters.



W. N. ALEXANDER. SEALING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1910.

Patented; May-1'7, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER N. ALEXANDER, OF SIDNEY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE T0 KARLT. MILLER, OF SIDNEY, NEBRASKA.

SEALING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed January 25, 1910. Serial No. 540,056.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER N. ALEX- ANDER, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Sidney, in the county of Cheyenne andState of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in SealingDevices for Electric Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sealing devices for electric meters and thelike and it has for its object to provide a device of this class whichshall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability andgeneral efiiciency.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural, details thereinexhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within thescope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,Figure 1 is a front view of a meter cover equipped withthe improved sealing device, and showing the same applied to a meter, aportion of the casing of which only appears. Fig. 2 is a side elevationpartly in section.

Corresponding parts in both figures are denoted by like characters ofreference.

The meter, a portion of whose casing is shown at l, is provided withoutwardly projecting bars or fastening members 2, 2, and the cover 3which is to be detachably mounted upon the meter casing is provided withapertures 4, 4: for the passage of said bars. Firmly secured upon thecover 3 by fastening means, such as a rivet 5, is a resilient cross bar6 having upturned ends 7 lying adjacent to the outer edges of theapertures i, said upturned ends being provided with laterally extendingfinger pieces 8 and with forwardly extending lugs or flanges 9. Thelatter are adapted to abut upon bracket members 10 which are riveted orotherwise secured upon the cover, said bracket members and the lugs orflanges being provided with alining apertures for the passage of afastening member consisting of a sealing rivet 11 of soft metal which,subsequent to its insertion, may be conveniently compressed or upset bymeans of an ordinary sealing punch.

The portions of the resilient cross bar 6 extending from the centrallydisposed rivet or fastening member 5 are confined in keepers 12 for thepurpose of limiting the movements of said parts, and said resilientcross bar is provided adjacent to the upturned ends 7 with toothedportions 13 adapted to engage teeth 1 1 upon the undersides of the bars2. The forward or outer ends of said bars 2 are preferably beveled, aswill be seen at 15, in order to facilitate the engagement with theapertures i in the cover.

In operation, when the cover is applied to the meter casing, the notchedor toothed bars 2 will project through the apertures 4: of the cover inengagement with the toothed portions 13 of the resilient cross bar 6,which latter will yield downwardly when the cover is being placed inposition. After the cover has been properly adjusted, the sealing orfastening members may be placed in position and secured, as will bereadily understood. To remove the cover it is only necessary to insertthe blade of a knife, screw driver or other suitable implement betweenthe lugs 9 and the bracket members 10, thus severing the shanks of therivets or fastening members, after which the toothed ends of theresilient bar 6 may be depressed by placing the fingers upon the fingerpieces 8 and bearing downward until the toothed portions 13 aredisengaged from the ratchet bars 2, when the cover may be readilydetached.

It is obvious thatany tampering with the sealing devices of the coverwill be readily apparent, and any unauthorized interference will thus beinstantly detected. Parts of the seal remaining in the apertures of thelugs 9 and the bracket members 10 may be readily removed with the pointof a knife or by some other suitable tool.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. A meter casing having projecting ratchet bars, a cover havingapertures for the passage of said bars, a resilient cross bar securedupon the cover by a fastening member intermediate the ends thereof andsaid cross bar having ratchet bar engaging teeth and upturned terminalslying adjacent to the outer edges of the apertures, and sealing meansfor securing the ends of the resilient cross bar against movement.

2. A casing having forwardly extending toothed locking bars, a coverhaving apertures for said locking bars, a resilient cross bar securedupon the cover engaging said locking bars, and sealing means to securethe resilient cross bar against movement when in locking-bar engagingposition.

3. In a device of the character described, a cover member, a resilientcross bar secured upon the same by fastening means intermediate the endsthereof, keepers to limit the movement of the ends of the resilientcross bar, finger pieces upon the latter, brackets upon the cover memberadjacent to and lying in the path of the ends of the re silient crossbar, and sealing means to secure the ends of the resilient cross baragainst movement; in combination With a casing having locking means toengaged by the resilient cross bar.

4 A meter casing having forwardly extending lock bars, a cover havingapertures for the passage of said lock bars, a resilient cross barsecured upon the cover by fastening means intermediate the ends thereofand having lock-bar engaging portions and upturned terminals lyingadjacent to the outer sides of the apertures in the cover, said upturnedterminals being provided with laterally extending finger pieces and Withforwardly extending apertured lugs, and apertured bracket memberssecured upon the cover adjacent to the apertured lugs for the passage ofthe sealing members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

WALTER N. ALEXANDER.

C. G. LE SUEUR.

